You going my way?
by TheBlackSpirit
Summary: They've never met, don't have the same life, nor the same aspirations. Nothing should gather them on this dusty road. Nothing, if not thier similar pain due to being alive. This is how two broken souls will try to heal by themselves, through laughter, tears and hugs. / ! AU, Yaoi, Ace x LawOOC. / !
1. Prologue

_So this is where I state that this is a translation of an amaizing fanfiction by an even greater author. As such none of the plot and all it contains belong to me. The original fanfiction is called Alors, est-ce que tu me suis?The author is A-Harlem. I thought I would share the shear magnificence of this work with the English readers on board of the insanity that is the One Piece Fandom._

_Please do comment on the translating mistakes I may make, as this is the first time that I am going French to English. _

_Also, the story is rated M because the subjects may not the easiest to go through to most people. There will also be some lemons later on, consider yourself warned dear reader._

_And of course, _

_Enjoy!_

_(All characters and the universe of One Piece belong to Oda-sensei!)_

**You going my way?**

Chapter one: Prologue

_"Picture yourself in a boat on a river,_

_With tangerine trees and marmalade skies._

_Somebody calls you, you answer quite Slowly:_

_A girl with kaleidoscope eyes. _»

The Beatles

_* Somewhere on the 40__th__ Interstate, Mojave Desert *_

Trafalgar Law let his gaze wander over the blood and ocher coloured cliffs surrounding him, stretching on as an endless horizon.

It was hot, too hot in his old DB6 Vantage, so the only concession was installed modern digital outlet for its iPod player, which had been spattering _Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds_ by The Beatles for the past few minutes.

He leaned a little against his leather seat, letting himself be lulled by the music and the monotonous rhythm of the drive on the dusty road leaving him alone with his thoughts and questions. Law glanced in the rear view mirror, contemplating his gym bag thrown on the back seat accompanied by his _perfecto*_, he had removed it because of the stifling heat, and his guitar. The vision of the latter made him smile slightly before he returned his attention to the road.

He had not played for ages and he itched from the lack of doing so, but he had no time for that. For now, he had more pressing to do. Find a more stable point that his car to sleep in, take a shower ...

_"... I'd kill for a fucking shower."_

... Buy something to fill his stomach. And a pack of smokes.

_"... I have to stop thinking about that or I'm going to start gnawing on the steering wheel."_

The desert seemed to stretch on for ever, and he began to seriously wonder whether this hell even had an end. Stones, pebbles and ... ah, more pebbles.

Not that he was complaining. Not really, anyway. He was doing it for looks, as usual. Being away from everything was what he was looking for ever since ...

_"... Since the day you screwed up?" _Sighed his conscience into the back of his head.

From the day one of his decisions, as simple as it had been, ruined his life.

His bitter thoughts were catching up, and with them came the memories and regrets that were associated. The desert and the insignificance of his presence sent him back to his own impotence, the very same he had felt for a long time before the rage and disgust took over.

This powerlessness reflected the contradictory feelings that fought within him. He often wanted to disappear, only to remain a tiny point in the universe, lost in the middle of nothing and lose sight of himself ... but most of all he wanted to lose that awful feeling of emptiness and unhappiness that the stuck to him like a second skin.

And yet he wanted to live. More than ever before.

He was more than ever craving smoke, just stopping on the side of the road only to lie on the hood of his car, in the scorching heat and light a cigarette, a trivial gesture, which would not require effort from his brain tormented by what was hiding within.

Anything to keep his hands and mind busy.

One detail caught his eye, much further down the road. Something that detonated on the rocky landscape around him since he had entered this god forsaken desert. Something tiny and yet, by its mere presence, broke the monotone appearance of the surroundings.

He eased on the gas, while a figure became clear to the right, it was walking backwards, holding out an arm, intuition told him to stop and his body reacted accordingly by crushing the brake pedal.

A young man of his age stood still on the road side.

Well, the age was kinda hard to tell, what with all that dust that had accumulated on the guy.

Law was struck by the black abyss of his eyes so dark we couldn't spot his pupils. His gaze was strange, and he soon understood where this impression had come from, he'd had the same, he recognized the traces of dried tears on his cheeks, furrows in the ash that stained under the dusty hair strands escaping from the elastic that held them.

He wore an old pair of Chuck Taylors worn out from walking, dark shorts and a shirt that had definitely seen better days. Despite all this filth, a red pearl necklace shone bright in the sun.

That was that had caught his attention more than the rest. The glowing radiance of the necklace.

The engine purred softly, while neither one nor the other exchanged a single word. One minute like a hundred could have passed, neither seemed to decide piper word. Law, because he was surprised to see someone alone on this road, and the stranger, because he probably wasn't expecting the car to stop.

- ... C'mon in, whispered Law designating the passenger seat with a nod.

The stranger rushed to his side, holding his bag tightly against his chest, but stayed silent. Law was too much of a silent type himself to feel the courage to reproach him anything. He started the engine again and the car went on its way down the desert road.

Night was falling when Law decided to speak, nearly six hours later; the stranger had not moved an inch during the entirety of the afternoon, watching the landscape scrolling by in the window, without making a single comment. Not that it bothered Law, but he was beginning to wonder what was up.

- … Where you headed? He asked.

The young man was silent, still obstinately turned towards the window. Law gave him a look and realized he was fast asleep, curled up on himself, his arms tight around the bag. Fresh tears had made their way onto his cheeks covered with dust. Law sighed and continued on his way until the night fell, cold and ruthless.

Exhausted, he parked on the side trying not to jolt, cut the engine and pulled the handbrake; carefully, he put his keys at the bottom of his pocket and lightly swung his seat back, recovering his leather jacket to put it on.

His passenger was still curled up, his head resting against the window, clutching his bag as if it was all he had.

Law closed his eyes, crossed his feet on the dashboard and let himself be carried away by sleep, exhausted and dreaming of a hotel where he could finally spend a peaceful night.

_AN: So, there we are at the end of the Prologue! I hope you all enjoyed reading this at least half as much as I personally loved translating it (I have dreamt of doing so for quite some time). _

_*Perfecto: it's a type of leather jacket, pretty fancy. I had to ask while I was starting to translate as I had never really paid much attention to it. _

_Anyway, please do review,_

_Until next time,_

_**Spirit**_

They never met, don't have the same life, nor the same aspirations. Nothing should gather them on this dusty road. Nothing, if not thier similar pain of being alive. This is how two broken souls will try to heal by themselves, through laughter, tears and hugs. / ! AU, Yaoi, Ace x LawOOC. / !


	2. Where to? Any where but here

**You going my way?**

Chapter one : Where to? Anywhere but here.

_And now my life has Changed in Oh! So Many Ways_

_My independence seems to vanish in the haze_

_Goal every now and then I feel so insecure_

_I know that I just need you like I've never done before_

_**The Beatles**_

Ace woke up with the appearance of the first rays of sunlight; every muscle in his body ached, reminding him of his fatigue, weariness, miles traveled on foot under the blazing sun, feeling as if he was going to die right there in the desert ... and the car.

He turned immediately, contemplating the extended driver in his seat, deep in sleep that seemed as little restful than his, given his tense features; he thought that his presence perhaps made the man suspicious and he felt a little more guilty.

He was dying of thirst, but the stranger seemed to have nothing to soothe it. Trying to forget about the drought within his mouth, he settled back more comfortably, trying to be as discreet as possible.

_"As usual,"_ muttered his conscience, as always filled with reproaches.

He ignored it and scanned the inside the car of an appreciative glance. Aston Martin a 1965, no less. According to the counter, she had to be at least 300 horsepower, about 200 km / hour, which was pretty impressive for a car of this age.

The driver had taste that was for sure.

The very same driver who seemed to wake up opening his eyes, still blurry with sleep, to the ceiling of the car; He blinked, yawned and stretched - Ace realized he was tall, one meter ninety, and that he was nonetheless well built despite his thinness. Result: he could throw him out at any time if he felt like it.

_"Stop seeing evil everywhere."_

He folded his tall figure and reached into his pocket for his keys out, giving him a sidelong glance.

- ... Sleep well?

- Could've been worse, Ace muttered carefully avoiding his gaze. I ... um, thank you. For yesterday.

- No problem, I couldn't leave you in the middle of the desert. Where are you going anyway?

Ace was silent just long enough to appreciate the sound of the engine starting, roaring happily as they were setting off.

- ... As long as it's far from where I come from, I don't care.

_Help me if you can, I'm feeling down_

_And I do appreciate you being 'round_

_Help me get my feet back on the ground_

_Will not you please, please help me_

Law nodded, accelerated and went out of the shoulder in a cloud of dust before embarking on the desert road and rev up, donning his sunglasses without asking more questions.

After all, who was he to judge ...? The boy did what he pleased, and Law would have felt like a hypocrite if he had given him any sermon.

- Trafalgar Law, he whispered suddenly, after a few minutes of silence.

- Portgas D. Ace, the young man whispered in reply, slightly embarrassed.

- ... Where are you coming from?

- Winston-Salem.

- North Carolina ...? wondered Trafalgar. You've been through the entirety of the states?

Ace nodded and shut out himself once more remembering what had forced him to leave his home overnight. He thought of all he had left behind and felt her tears back with a vengeance - he stifled them in his bag, ashamed, and swallowed a sob that threatened to burst from his chest.

If he noticed the tears, Law said nothing, keeping one hand on the steering wheel, the other sticking out from the open window, letting the wind carry their race.

The sun rose higher in the sky as the hours passed and at its zenith, it was lunch time, Ace's stomach gurgled and broke the silence, drawing Law's attention, who made apologetic face.

- I'm sorry to say I have nothing edible. But we shouldn't be very far from Bakersfield ... there will should be some place to stop and eat.

Ace nodded and let his head fall back against the window, watching the glowing expanse of desert and mountains, which reflected the brightness of the sun.

Law reached out and started his iPod, adjusting the volume, to play "Help" by the Beatles. Ace slipped a glance at the radio station, astonished, and Trafalgar caught his gaze.

- ... Do you have anything against the Beatles ...?

He shook his head, thinking that it was Luffy's favourite band.

_"Luffy ..."_. His little brother. The apple of his eye.

He slammed his head against the seat support and looked up to restrain the tears, thinking that he had cried enough already. His fingers tightened on his bag and his nails scraped the rough fabric with a thud that did not escape the Aston's driver's hearing, which refrained from comment.

His passenger's depression seemed newer than Law's, and rage and sadness still painfully emanated from him.

Law himself had passed the stage of tears long time ago; he cried all it was physically possible to express and yelled to the rest of the world before leaving everything behind for a fresh start in a new city.

Ace sat more comfortably in the leather seat and closed his eyes, the wind ruffling his dusty hair, under Trafalgar's thoughtful gaze.

The afternoon passed without them exchanging a word, as before, each deep in thought once more, the sun was buried behind the mountains, casting its last rays blue, gold and blood red in the sky who seemed to star, devoid of the slightest cloud.

The headlights illuminated the asphalt road under the wheels before another gleam loomed in the distance, probably several kilometers away.

The first point of civilization for nearly two days - Law felt feverish with the idea of eating and stifled a laugh, accelerating the pace towards the small resort looming in the night.

- I offer to spend the night here, Law sighed. I love my car, but I have my limits.

He turned his head and noticed that Ace looked uncomfortable, if not downright scared. Intrigued, he parked at the foot of the small illuminated hotel and tried to understand what put him in this state.

- ... is that all right?

- Yeah, yeah. It's fine, he muttered, tightening his hold on his bag in a pathetic gesture of protection.

Law turned off the ignition and got out of the car, Ace on his heels. He noticed that the young man was dragging his feet and seemed to settle a little more about himself while they were close to the hotel, but remained silent until they enter the small hall.

There was a receptionist at the entrance, which offered them a candid smile, far from being shocked by their dusty appearance - she had seen much worse than that on that road.

- Good evening, she smiled, before displaying an air heartbroken. We are almost fully booked, all that remains is a single free room.

Ace felt a lump in his throat and a knot violently contracted his stomach - he begged not to throw up right then and there.

- The beds are apart? Law inquired with a smile that he hoped seemed casual.

- Yes, of course, but there's only one bathroom.

- It'll work conceded Law rummaging through his jeans and then pulling out his wallet.

Ace winced when Law turned to him to deposit the room key in his hand - his fingers were frozen, in stark contrast to his, hot.

- Go shower, I'll catch up with you. You seriously need it.

He just nodded and walked up the stairs, disappearing from his sight. Trafalgar went out into the cold night air and crossed the road to reach the grocery store still open on the other side of the bitumen. He politely greeted the tenant and wandered the shelves, filling a basket of water bottles and cake packages, wondering what Ace would like to eat.

He added sandwiches and a bag of caramel candies - his favorite - before joining the union.

The view of cigarette packages was a blessing and it came out of the grocery store with bundles of tobacco leaves and three boxes to roll - Old Mac, one of Virginia, which he preferred to all the rest.

He returned to the hotel, the receptionist smiled and looked the room, he found the second floor, just down the hall he knocked, waiting patiently for Ace to open it.

_"Or not. Apparently he's scared of you. He might make you sleep on the doorstep."_

Footsteps echoed in the room, slammed the locks and door opened slightly, letting a black and worried look before the door opens completely on a freshly showered Ace in linen trousers and a clearly shirt clean.

Law was seized by the youth's face Ace rid of filth; his shoulder-length hair, auburn, still wet from his shower, framed his cheeks dotted freckles he had not noticed, because of the dust.

Ace gave him a slight smile, the first in two days, interrupting Law's thoughts.

- ... Hi.

-So you really are human! I was starting to think you were an alien escaped from Area 51.

Ace chuckled slightly and stepped aside to let him in, before quickly shutting the door behind him. Trafalgar put the bags on the nearest bed and walked to the bathroom.

- Help yourself, I'll be out in ten. Or maybe fifteen, he added, gauging his filthy appearance critically.

He closed the door, faced the mirror above the sink and thought it was really time to get rid of the stubble (and more) that pushed the meantime.

He reached into his bag and took out a shaving cream tin that he shook before spreading foam on his face.

_"Fuck, man, we look like Daddy."_

He pushed that thought away with a small smile and unfolded his shaving blade before applying it to his skin as to shave his cheeks and neck, focused on the movement of the blade.

Movement that reminded him his father looked at the old mirror dotted with their bathroom while he was watching in the process of shaving as a child lurking behind the door, curious and fearful at the same time.

_"... That was years ago. Why the hell are you thinking about that?"_ Sighed his conscience.

He did not know anything and just decided to forget about it - he had enough to do like that. He splashed his face with water and wiped with a towel, contemplating his face, before straightening his little goatee finger backhand.

_"I wonder how much longer that'll last. It sucks to always have to be careful when we're shavin'."_

It was really time for him to sleep: the little voice in his head was getting a slightly too intrusive. Law threw his dirty clothes on the tiled floor and opened the taps - a pleasant smell in the air, similar to caramel candies something he enjoyed. He slipped under the water and was able to suppress a wellness sigh when the jet struck the knotted muscles of his neck.

He took his time to wash himself, before resigning to go out, rummaging in his bag to get out a pair of jeans and a clean tank top, he put them on quickly drying his hair all the while.

Ace was sitting on one of the beds, a small notebook in hand scribbling on one of the pages while leaning forward. He jumped when Law came out of the bathroom and quickly stuffed his things into his big bag before looking up and noticing the tattoos covering his body under the tank top he was wearing.

- …do you have a lot of those?

- Tattoos? Quite a few yeah, Law smiled while dropping onto his own bed. You didn't have anything to eat ...?

- I was waiting for you, murmured the young man politely.

Trafalgar reached into the bags and handed him a sandwich, Ace intercepted the flight before unpacking and biting into it, repressing a grunt of pleasure to the feel of the food in his mouth. Law watched him, amused, before taking his guitar and out of its cover, under the gaze of a curious Ace.

- does it bother you if I strike a few strings...?

He shook his head and settled against the pillows, his dark eyes gazing at him with curiosity and some envy.

Law pinched a few strings, adjusted their clamping and started to hit a rhythm, Ace recognized it at once - a song that his mother listened to regularly ... _Lemon Tree _by Oasis.

He was even more astonished and admiring, in a sense, when Law hummed the song; his voice low and deep had a terribly soothing effect, even making him momentarily forget to eat. When he stopped, Law caught sight of Ace's gaze and raised a brow.

- Yes ...?

- S-sorry, he muttered, lowering his nose back to his sandwich. You have a really nice voice.

- Thanks, Law smiled after a long silence. ... It was just a test, it still requires adjustments.

- Don't worry about it, I have absolutely no musical ear, so ... for me it's already extraordinary.

Trafalgar shook his head, distracted, pulled out a paper and a pencil and scribbled the tablature of the song on a corner of the page, before seeking the fairest agreements, repeating endlessly, the guitar's music passing over the hotel's nose, conversations and footsteps in the corridor.

When his joints protested and the pads of his fingers threatened to flay alive on the brass, he decided to pack his guitar reluctantly - he could play for hours, but he did not want to prevent Ace's sleep, especially as it seemed to be badly needed.

He was lying in bed, under the blanket and dozed quietly, his black eyes blurred with sleep over time. Law put away the leftover food in bags and placed them near the bedside table, extending in turn on his bed, his hands behind his head thoughtfully.

A slight hum sounded close to him - he turned his head and smiled at Ace already asleep, slumped against the pillow, his disheveled hair on the pillow and his peaceful face.

_AN: Sorry for being so late… this chapter took me some time to translate and I didn't want to mess it up. So please, don't chuck pitchforks at my head, or anything else that can be as lethal. I've had a busy week and weekend, forgive me!_

_Please do review!_

_Spirit_


	3. Do you not have eardrums?

**You going my way?**

Chapter two : Do you not have eardrums?

_Broke our mirrors_

_Sunday morning is everyday for all I care_

_And I'm not scared, light my candles_

_In a daze 'Cause I've found God ..._

Nirvana

- Oh, no, seriously ... I can't take it anymore, don't you have anything else?

Law looked surprised at Ace who had turned to him extremely serious, while Lithium by Nirvana sputtered through open windows in the intense heat of the Mojave.

Four days had passed since they left the hotel, and Ace had gradually out of his shell, even if he remained silent and kept his extreme politeness in all circumstances - he had obviously decided to leave aside for this time, too.

- ... What?

-Don't you have any other bands? All you ever play is rock songs, metal and stuff from last century.

- ...Well, duh. Not a fan of Nirvana?

-It's not that much of a loss!

Law sighed and shook his head, as they kept racing at full speed on the road. The young whippersnapper lacked culture and he counted his artistic fill gaps; he pushed the volume up and his charge grimaced pinning his hands over his ears.

- take that in! Law yelled to cover the sound of the guitar. Seize the opportunity to expand your minimal knowledge!

Ace muttered, rummaging through his backpack, and took out a player that Law had not seen before, and handed it to him. He unplugged his iPod and plugged in Ace's instead; the owner made through the songs and launched a carefully chosen one.

Trafalgar gritted his teeth and felt his skin bristle as Eminem Lose Yourself sounded in the cockpit.

- Damn, no, no, no, you bastard , turn that shit off!

- ... What? This guy is awesome! This song, it's just ... his guts, his life, his past, he had the urge to break into a world that was not meant for him! How could you say it's a piece of shit?! Ace yelped, vehemently.

- And you think Kurt Cobain was a happy person?

- Because there is something else besides the rest?

- You really have no culture, Portgas.

Ace, stubbornly lowered his gaze, securing it with aggressiveness, waiting for the older man to continue; Law sighed, rolled his eyes and glared at him.

At the moment, he hated this guy. It was his car, his music, he was the driver, and if he wanted to listen to Nirvana, Dire Straits and Black Sabbath by striking voice, that was his problem. He would fold his chatter once and for all.

- The song is about a depressed man, and obviously on the verge of madness, his girlfriend has just left him, and ultimately, he turned to religion. Disturbed, bipolar, and that's where we get the name of the song. _Lithium_ is the name of the drug that's used on patients with mental disorders in the United States.

- How do you know that? Ace was surprised.

- I know, that's all, mumbled Law carefully evading the question, turning his attention to the road. Question of general culture. Which you are obviously lacking.

Ace, stung, swung his pen to Law's face; the latter returned it and they squabbled all over again, like every time they expressed their disagreements - and there were many.

He sat back in his seat more wisely and took notes in his new book; Law squinted at the photograph that was falling out of it, it displayed Ace and another boy; Arm in arm, immortalized on the glossy paper.

Trafalgar asked no questions, even if dozens pressed to his lips. What did this diary contain? Did he really walk all the way from North Carolina ...? Had he really gone through all the United States from east to west? And most importantly, why? What had prompted him to leave everything behind?

Ace closed the book and put it away, while the playlist happening in One love Nas, making the driver of the car wince a bit more, who forced himself to make no comment- after all, Ace also had the right to listen to the music he liked.

... some times.

- Can I ask you something ...? he murmured after long minutes of silence.

- You can try, Ace whispered slightly defensive.

- ... How old are you?

Ace looked surprised - it was obvious that he had expected something much more personal, the reasons for his presence on Interstate 40 for example.

- ... Seventeen.

Trafalgar sighed and swore to himself. He should have known better - a kid. Ace was just a kid lost in the middle of nowhere, about four thousand kilometers from the home where he should have been. Normal.

- And you?

- What do you mean?

- Your age.

- Is this important?

Ace nodded, suddenly very interested. "_Might as well, since we're at it…_". Stunned, he choked when Law told him he had celebrated his twenty-eighth birthday last month. The driver of the Aston patted him on the back to help him catch his breath, anxious, before withdrawing the water bottle from under his seat before handing it to Ace, leaving him to drink plenty of water to regain proper breathing.

- You're so old!

- I'm… _What_?

- We ... more than ten years apart!

- ... I do not understand the problem well ... it will change your life, to know that the six billion people on the planet, there's someone older than you?

- Nothing to do! Ace replied, all red. It's just that ... thought you were younger...!

The silence returned, broken only by Ace's music that always marched alternating rap and techno in turn.

The reaction of the young man amused Trafalgar; this kid was offended by nothing, and pissing him off or annoying him had become one of his favorite pastimes. It was so easy to through him off his hinges ... maybe because of his youth.

- I never asked, where are we going, exactly? inquired Ace.

- At Big Sur. In Burns State Park. Well ... this is where I planned to stay. You are free to do whatever you want then.

- Mmmn.

- One more question, you have the right not to answer, coughed Trafalgar.

Ace motioned him to continue before fiddling his fingers nervously.

- ...You were scared of me. I mean ... it was painfully obvious.

- That's not a question, Ace whispered suddenly much quieter.

- That's right. Doesn't mean there isn't an answer.

The boy played with the strap of her bag for a moment, searching for words. Law gave him time for reflection, his eyes still on the road that lay before them.

- ... When you showed up I had already been walking for three days, he whispered. The nights too. I was cold at night, hot during the day, hungry and thirsty. I thought I would die out there. That's why cam aboard, though ... my conscience told me it was a bad idea.

- Why is that ...?

- You took me with you without asking questions, then you would have had the right to send me away. You do not ask me anything ... in return.

Trafalgar frowned, full of misunderstanding; he had no idea where this conversation was going to lead them, but I did not like him at all. Bad feeling about the future.

- ... A week ago, a guy gave me a ride, too. A little weird, but I was trying to tell me that it was just for a few miles, just to move a little. Night fell, and he stopped, so ... I thought he wanted to take a break, or something like that ... I ... just ... he said I should be grateful to him ... He ...

Ace swallowed hard, pummeling his bag to hide the trembling of his hands.

- ... Put his hand on me ... and ... I ...

He gritted his teeth and Law felt his fingers twitch on the steering wheel, to launder his knuckles.

_" disgusting pig."_

- ... I panicked. I wanted out of the car but he had locked the doors. It was ... I don't know how I managed to get out, but ... I ran. A long time. I didn't want him to catch me, the fact that he touched me ... this way. It was ... repulsive.

- I'm sorry. That your road has crossed paths with such people, blew Law by urging calm.

- Does not matter ... it's almost forgotten already, don't worry. And well, you aren't like that. So I'm not scared, he confessed.

Trafalgar smiled slightly before reaching out and ruffling his hair nicely;

Ace protested and their fight started up again.

**Chapter end!**

_Author's note: Er… hey… Yeah I'm really sorry for the extremely long wait and I know that I despise when authors do this. But life got in the way. How exactly did that happen you ask? Well, first I got dumped, second, my muses murdered each other (seriously, with the gore and everything) third, my grandpa is in the hospital and last but not least… Anime conventions. Granted, that last one isn't really an excuse at all, I should've gotten inspired because of the convention, but I didn't. _

_Any how, I expect slight murder threats (or hard core ones, that's fine too). Also, I would like to wish a late birthday to Marco once again (Ma-Lyn) and with these words, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will leave me a review. _

_Until next time,_

_-Spirit_


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